Three-Phase Resonant Converter and Method of Controlling the Same

35 This application is a continuation application of and claims priority underU.S.C. § 120 to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/474,556, filed on Sep. 26, 2023, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202310872970.X, filed on Jul. 17, 2023, under 35 U.S.C. § 119. The entire contents of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

The present disclosure relates to a resonant converter and a method of controlling the same, and more particularly to a three-phase resonant converter and a method of controlling the same.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

Due to soft-switching characteristics, the resonant converter has better conversion efficiency than the traditional DC-to-DC converter, and therefore the resonant converter has been widely used in various power supply products in recent years, among which the LLC structure is more common. However, the resonant converter has the characteristic that high gain and high efficiency cannot be satisfied at the same time: if the characteristic curve is optimized for high efficiency, the gain capability will be sacrificed, resulting in the inability to meet the current market requirement that the output voltage of the power converter needs to be maintained at a certain output level (referred to as the voltage threshold in the following) for a hold-up time when the input power is lost. Conversely, if optimized for a high gain curve, the efficiency will be sacrificed for increased energy consumption.

Existing control strategies have been successfully applied to single-phase resonant converters. However, with the gradual development of power supply products to higher output power, the application of single-phase resonant converters began to appear inadequate. In order to achieve three-phase current balance in three-phase resonant converters, a common method used in the past was to independently adjust the duty cycle of the three phases. However, this method cannot make the duty cycle of the three phases operate at the optimum point, thereby affecting efficiency. Another common method is to adjust the relative angles of the three-phase duty cycle so that the three phases are not fixed at 120 degrees from each other so as to achieve current balance, but the control difficulty of this method is relatively high.

Therefore, how to design a three-phase resonant converter and a method of controlling the same to solve the problems and technical bottlenecks in the existing technology has become a critical topic in this field.

The present disclosure provides a three-phase resonant converter and a method of controlling the same. In one aspect, the three-phase resonant converter includes a three-phase transformer, an input bridge arm assembly having first, second, and third input switch arms respectively coupled to primary-side windings of the three-phase transformer, and an output bridge arm assembly having first, second, and third output synchronous rectification switch arms respectively coupled to secondary-side windings of the three-phase transformer. Each input switch arm includes an upper switch and a lower switch, and each output synchronous rectification switch arm includes an upper rectification switch and a lower rectification switch. A control unit generates switching signals to control the input bridge arm assembly and the output bridge arm assembly.

In another aspect, the three-phase resonant converter includes a current balance controller coupled to the control unit. The current balance controller receives a first current, a second current, and a third current corresponding to currents flowing from respective nodes between the upper switches and the lower switches of the first, second, and third input switch arms toward the three-phase transformer. The current balance controller determines a first phase angle difference and a second phase angle difference based on the first current, the second current, and the third current, wherein the determining is based on at least one of a peak value, an average value, or a root-mean-square value of each of the currents. The current balance controller provides the phase angle differences to the control unit so that the control unit controls turn-on timing of rectification switches of the first, second, and third output synchronous rectification switch arms according to phase angles that include a first phase angle and offsets derived from the first phase angle difference and the second phase angle difference.

In yet another aspect, a method of controlling a three-phase resonant converter includes receiving, determining, and providing the phase angle differences as described above, and controlling the output synchronous rectification switch arms according to the phase angles corresponding to the phase angle differences.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the present disclosure as claimed. Other advantages and features of the present disclosure will be apparent from the following description, drawings, and claims.

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present disclosure in detail. It will be understood that the drawing figures and exemplified embodiments of present disclosure are not limited to the details thereof.

1 FIG. 6 FIG.A 6 FIG.H 7 FIG.A 7 FIG.B 11 12 13 10 11 1 3 1 3 11 11 Please refer to, which shows a block circuit diagram of a three-phase resonant converter according to the present disclosure. The three-phase resonant converter includes a three-phase transformer, an input bridge arm assembly, an output bridge arm assembly, and a control unit. The three-phase transformerincludes a resonant circuit (having resonant capacitors Cr-Crand resonant inductors Lr-Lr), and three primary-side windings and three secondary-side windings. The control strategy proposed in the present disclosure may be applied to various three-phase resonant converter structures, and as shown into, the three primary-side windings of the three-phase transformerare star-connected (wye-connected) or delta-connected (triangle-connected), and as shown inand, the three secondary-side windings of the three-phase transformerare star-connected or delta-connected.

12 121 122 123 121 122 123 121 122 123 121 122 123 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 2 1 2 A 3 4 3 4 B 5 6 5 6 C The input bridge arm assemblyincludes three input switch bridge arms,,, i.e., a first input switch bridge arm, a second input switch bridge arm, and a third input switch bridge arm, respectively coupled to the three primary-side windings. Each input switch bridge arm,,includes an upper switch Q, Q, Qand a lower switch Q, Q, Q, that is, the first input switch bridge armincludes a first upper switch Qand a first lower switch Q, and the first upper switch Qand the first lower switch Qare commonly connected at a first node N. The second input switch bridge armincludes a second upper switch Qand a second lower switch Q, and the second upper switch Qand the second lower switch Qare commonly connected at a second node N. The third input switch bridge armincludes a third upper switch Qand a third lower switch Q, and the third upper switch Qand the third lower switch Qare commonly connected at a third node N.

131 132 133 131 132 133 131 132 133 131 132 133 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 The output bridge arm assembly includes three output synchronous rectification switch arms,,, i.e., a first output synchronous rectification switch arm, a second output synchronous rectification switch arm, and a three output synchronous rectification switch arm, respectively coupled to the three secondary-side windings. Each output synchronous rectification switch arm,,includes an upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRand a lower rectification switch SR, SR, SR, that is, the first output synchronous rectification switch armincludes a first upper rectification switch SRand a first lower rectification switch SR. The second output synchronous rectification switch armincludes a second upper rectification switch SRand a second lower rectification switch SR. The third output synchronous rectification switch armincludes a third upper rectification switch SRand a third lower rectification switch SR.

131 132 133 121 122 123 131 121 132 122 133 123 1 2 1 2 3 4 3 4 5 6 5 6 In particular, the control of each output synchronous rectification switch arm,,is corresponding to the control of each input switch arm,,. Specifically, the control of the first upper rectification switch SRand the first lower rectification switch SRof the first output synchronous rectification switch armis corresponding to the first upper switch Qand the first lower switch Qof the first input switch bridge arm. The control of the second upper rectification switch SRand the second lower rectification switch SRof the second output synchronous rectification switch armis corresponding to the second upper switch Qand the second lower switch Qof the second input switch bridge arm. The control of the third upper rectification switch SRand the third lower rectification switch SRof the third output synchronous rectification switch armis corresponding to the third upper switch Qand the third lower switch Qof the third input switch bridge arm.

10 10 1 FIG. Q1 Q6 1 3 5 2 4 6 SR1 SR6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 In different embodiments, the controller unitmay receive an input voltage Vdc or the output voltage Vout of the three-phase resonant converter, that is, as long as the state of the output voltage Vout can be directly or indirectly acquired, it can be a source of voltage information. Taking the embodiment of receiving the output voltage Vout inas an example, the control unitprovides input bridge arm switch signals S-Sto respectively control the upper switches Q, Q, Qand the lower switches Q, Q, Qand provides output bridge arm switch signals S-Sto respectively control the upper rectification switches SR, SR, SRand the lower rectification switches SR, SR, SRaccording to the output voltage Vout so that the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRto be correspondingly turned on with a phase angle leading to the upper switch Q, Q, Qor the lower switch Q, Q, Qso as to maintain the output voltage Vout of the resonant converter to be higher than a voltage threshold. Accordingly, when the three-phase resonant converter is shut down or the input power source does not supply power, the hold-tup time for the output voltage Vout to be kept at the output level can be extended. The detailed operation and principle will be explained later.

2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B 2 FIG.A 2 FIG.B 6 R Please refer toand, which respectively show schematic waveforms of switch signals of operating a conventional three-phase resonant converter at a frequency being less than a frequency threshold and at the frequency being greater than the frequency threshold. As shown in, when the resonant converter operates at the frequency being less than the frequency threshold, such as but not limited to, a resonant frequency of the resonant converter, and the resonant frequency will be described later as examples, in order to avoid the hard switching of the synchronous rectification switch on the output side, resulting in increased switching loss, the turned-on time period is reduced. For example, a time period of turning on the third lower rectification switch SRshown in the figures is the resonant period 1/f. However, it will reduce the hold-up time that the power supply can maintain the output voltage at a certain/specific output level when the power supply is turned off or the input power source does not supply power. The resonant converter operating above the resonant frequency (as shown in) is less likely to have this situation than the resonant converter operating below the resonant frequency.

Therefore, in order to solve the situation that the switching mode and the hold-up time of the switches cannot be considered in the previous disclosure, the present disclosure provides a three-phase resonant converter and a method of controlling the same to solve the existing problems and technical bottlenecks in the related art.

3 FIG.A 10 1 1 2 2 3 3 R 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 Please refer to, which shows a schematic waveform of switch signals of operating the three-phase resonant converter at a frequency being less than the frequency threshold according to the present disclosure. The control unitacquires a working frequency command according to the output voltage Vout of the three-phase resonant converter. Based on the working frequency command being less than the frequency threshold (for example, the resonant frequency f) of the resonant converter, the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRis correspondingly turned on with a phase angle leading to the upper switch Q, Q, Qor the lower switch Q, Q, Q. That is, the first upper rectification switch SRis turned on with a first phase angle ΦLleading to the first upper switch Q, or the first lower rectification switch SRis turned on with the first phase angle ΦLleading to the first lower switch Q. Similarly, the second upper rectification switch SRis turned on with a second phase angle ΦLleading to the second upper switch Q, or the second lower rectification switch SRis turned on with the second phase angle ΦLleading to the second lower switch Q. Similarly, the third upper rectification switch SRis turned on with a third phase angle ΦLleading to the third upper switch Q, or the third lower rectification switch SRis turned on with the third phase angle ΦLleading to the third lower switch Q.

1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 6 R R R R 2 FIG.A In this operation, since the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRis correspondingly turned on with the phase angle leading to the upper switch Q, Q, Qor the lower switch Q, Q, Q, compared to the(the time period of turning on the rectification switch SRis the resonant period 1/f), the turned-on time period is greater than the resonant period 1/f, wherein the resonant period 1/fis the reciprocal of the resonant frequency f.

3 FIG.A 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 0 0 0 2 Moreover, as shown in, a time point of turning on the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor turning on the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRis earlier than a time point of turning on the corresponding upper switch Q, Q, Qor lower switch Q, Q, Q; a time point of turning off the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor turning off the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRis earlier than a time point of turning off the corresponding upper switch Q, Q, Qor lower switch Q, Q, Q, and the time period of turning on the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor turning on the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRat different switching cycles gradually increases with time. Specifically, taking the third lower rectification switch SRand the third lower switch Qas an example. A time point (time t″) of turning on the third lower rectification switch SRis earlier than a time point (time t) of turning on the three lower switch Q, and a time point (time t′) of turning off the third lower rectification switch SRis earlier than a time point (time t) of turning off the third lower switch Q. The same is true for other upper and lower rectification switches and the corresponding upper and lower switches.

3 FIG.B 10 1 1 R 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 1 2 2 Please refer to, which shows a schematic waveform of switch signals of operating the three-phase resonant converter at a frequency being greater than the frequency threshold according to the present disclosure. The control unitacquires the working frequency command according to the output voltage Vout of the three-phase resonant converter. Based on the working frequency command being greater than the frequency threshold (for example, the resonant frequency f) of the resonant converter, the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRis correspondingly turned on with a phase angle leading to the upper switch Q, Q, Qor the lower switch Q, Q, Q. That is, the first upper rectification switch SRis turned on with a first phase angle ΦLleading to the first upper switch Q, or the first lower rectification switch SRis turned on with the first phase angle ΦLleading to the first lower switch Q. The same is true for other upper and lower rectification switches and the corresponding upper and lower switches.

3 FIG.B 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 0 0 0 0 0 2 Moreover, as shown in, a time point of turning on the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor turning on the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRis earlier than a time point of turning on the corresponding upper switch Q, Q, Qor lower switch Q, Q, Q, and a time period of turning on the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor turning on the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRis equal to a time period of turning on the corresponding upper switch Q, Q, Qor lower switch Q, Q, Q. Specifically, taking the third lower rectification switch SRand the third lower switch Qas an example. A time point (time t″) of turning on the third lower rectification switch SRis earlier than a time point (time t) of turning on the three lower switch Q, and a time period of turning on the third lower rectification switch SR(from time t″ to time t′″) is equal to a time period of turning on the third lower switch Q(from time tto time t). The same is true for other upper and lower rectification switches and the corresponding upper and lower switches.

5 FIG.B 5 FIG.A 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 In one operation situation, based on three input currents flowing into the three primary-side windings being the same, that is, the input currents of the three-phase resonant converter are balanced (refer to), the three phase angles which the three upper rectification switches SR, SR, SRor the three lower rectification switches SR, SR, SRare correspondingly turned on leading to the three upper switches Q, Q, Qor the three lower switches Q, Q, Qare the same. In another operation situation, based on three input currents flowing into the three primary-side windings being not the same, that is, the input currents of the three-phase resonant converter are not balanced (refer to), the three phase angles which the three upper rectification switches SR, SR, SRor the three lower rectification switches SR, SR, SRare correspondingly turned on leading to the three upper switches Q, Q, Qor the three lower switches Q, Q, Qare not the same. The specific description of the above two operation situations is as follows.

3 FIG.A 3 FIG.B 1 2 1 2 3 4 3 4 5 6 5 6 1 2 3 1 2 3 Please refer toand, the first upper rectification switch SRand the first lower rectification switch SRare correspondingly turned on with a first phase angle ΦLleading to the first upper switch Qand the first lower switch Q. The second upper rectification switch SRand the second lower rectification switch SRare correspondingly turned on with a second phase angle ΦLleading to the second upper switch Qand the second lower switch Q. The third upper rectification switch SRand the third lower rectification switch SRare correspondingly turned on with a third phase angle ΦLleading to the third upper switch Qand the third lower switch Q. In particular, the relationships between the first phase angle ΦL, the second phase angle ΦL, and the third phase angle ΦLare:

2 1 12 2 1 12 the second phase angle ΦLis equal to the first phase angle ΦLplus a first phase angle difference ΔΦL, that is, ΦL=ΦL+ΔΦL;

3 1 13 3 1 13 the third phase angle ΦLis equal to the first phase angle ΦLplus a second phase angle difference ΔΦL, that is, ΦL=ΦL+ΔΦL.

12 13 1 2 3 For the balanced-current operation situation of the three-phase resonant converter, since the first phase angle difference ΔΦLand the second phase angle difference ΔΦLare zero, the first phase angle ΦL, the second phase angle ΦL, and the third phase angle ΦLare the same.

12 13 1 2 3 For the unbalanced-current operation situation of the three-phase resonant converter, since the first phase angle difference ΔΦLand the second phase angle difference ΔΦLare not zero, the first phase angle ΦL, the second phase angle ΦL, and the third phase angle ΦLare not the same.

12 1 2 13 1 3 1 11 2 11 3 11 A 1 2 B 3 4 C 5 6 Moreover, the first phase angle difference ΔΦLis determined by a first current Irand a second current Ir, and the second phase angle difference ΔΦLis determined by the first current Irand a third current Ir. In particular, the first current Iris a current flowing from a command node, i.e., a first node Nbetween the first upper switch Qand the first lower switch Qto the three-phase transformer, the second current Iris a current flowing from a command node, i.e., a second node Nbetween the second upper switch Qand the second lower switch Qto the three-phase transformer, and the third current Iris a current flowing from a command node, i.e., a third node Nbetween the third upper switch Qand the third lower switch Qto the three-phase transformer.

2 1 12 2 1 12 2 1 12 2 1 12 2 1 12 When the second current Iris greater than the first current Ir, the first phase angle difference ΔΦLis negative, and when the second current Iris less than the first current Ir, the first phase angle difference ΔΦLis positive. Moreover, an absolute value of a current difference between the second current Irand the first current Iris greater, an absolute value of the first phase angle difference ΔΦLis greater. That is, when the second current Iris increasingly greater than the first current Ir, the first phase angle difference ΔΦLis a decreasingly negative value, and when the second current Iris decreasingly less than the first current Ir, the first phase angle difference ΔΦLis an increasingly positive value.

3 1 13 3 1 13 3 1 13 3 1 13 3 1 13 Similarly, when the third current Iris greater than the first current Ir, the second phase angle difference ΔΦLis negative, and when the third current Iris less than the first current Ir, the second phase angle difference ΔΦLis positive. Moreover, an absolute value of a current difference between the third current Irand the first current Iris greater, an absolute value of the second phase angle difference ≢ΦLis greater. That is, when the third current Iris increasingly greater than the first current Ir, the second phase angle difference ΔΦLis a decreasingly negative value, and when the third current Iris decreasingly less than the first current Ir, the second phase angle difference ΔΦLis an increasingly positive value.

4 FIG. 101 101 1 2 3 12 13 1 2 3 Please refer to, which shows a block diagram of a current balance controller according to the present disclosure. The three-phase resonant converter further includes a current balance controller. The current balance controllerreceives the first current Ir, the second current Ir, and the third current Ir, and calculates the first phase angle difference ΔΦLand the second phase angle difference ΔΦLaccording to peak values, average values, or root-mean-square values of the first current Ir, the second current Ir, and the third current Ir.

101 1 2 3 Therefore, the unbalanced input currents are controlled by the current balance controller, and the phase angle differences are adjusted for the first phase angle ΦL, the second phase angle ΦL, and the third phase angle ΦLso as to achieve the optimum control of leading phase angle.

8 FIG. 10 121 122 123 121 122 123 131 132 133 131 132 133 131 132 133 121 122 123 20 30 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 1 3 5 2 4 6 Please refer to, which shows a flowchart of a method of controlling the three-phase resonant converter according to the present disclosure. Cooperating with the complete description and diagrams of the previously disclosed three-phase resonant converter, the method of controlling the resonant converter of the present disclosure includes steps as follows. First, providing a three-phase resonant converter having a three-phase transformer, an input bridge arm, and an output bridge arm (step S), wherein the input bridge arm assembly includes three input switch arms,,, and each input switch arm,,includes an upper switch Q, Q, Qand a lower switch Q, Q, Q; wherein the output bridge arm assembly includes three output synchronous rectification switch arms,,, and each output synchronous rectification switch arm,,includes an upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRand a lower rectification switch SR, SR, SR. Afterward, controlling each output synchronous rectification switch arm,,and each input switch arm,,correspondingly (step S). Finally, controlling the upper rectification switch SR, SR, SRor the lower rectification switch SR, SR, SRto be correspondingly turned on with a phase angle leading to the upper switch Q, Q, Qor the lower switch Q, Q, Qso as to maintain an output voltage of the resonant converter to be higher than a voltage threshold (step S). As for the more complete circuit structure and control method of the three-phase resonant converter, please refer to the content of the previous disclosure, and the detail description is omitted here for conciseness.

1. The three-phase resonant converter and the method of controlling the same can provide both high-gain and high-efficiency characteristics, and can be applied to higher output power design. 2. The unbalanced input currents can be controlled to adjust the phase angle differences for the first phase angle, the second phase angle, and the third phase angle so as to achieve the optimum control of leading phase angle and the balance of the three-phase current. 3. Three primary-side windings and three secondary-side windings of the three-phase transformer can be implemented in a star connection (Y connection) or a delta connection (Δ connection), thereby increasing the flexibility and convenience of circuit design. In summary, the present disclosure has the following features and advantages:

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details thereof. Various substitutions and modifications have been suggested in the foregoing description, and others will occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, all such substitutions and modifications are intended to be embraced within the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.